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FIJIAN-ONLY PRESIDENT CALLED DISCRIMINATORY

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, Dec. 31) - The Citizens Constitutional Forum says the position of Fiji’s President and Vice President should be given to non-indigenous Fijians as well.

"The CCF remains concerned that the position of President in Fiji is restricted to only Fijians and chiefs," CCF CEO Rev Akuila Yabaki says.

"The restriction means that the President and Vice President’s position in Fiji is in fact, discriminatory of other races in Fiji."

Yabaki adds that given the difficulty in finding an appropriate person for the position of President and Vice President, "the time may be right to allow a person from any race to take up this position".

He said the Constitution did not restrict the choice to one community.

"It’s only the way it’s done; the actual process of choice has to be done by the Great Council of Chiefs. The GCC could appoint anybody from whatever community," Yabaki said.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.